The SEC will see a youth movement this season as a handful of young QBs will battle to earn jobs in 2016.

The Southeastern Conference will see a youth movement this season as a handful of young quarterbacks will battle to earn starting jobs in 2016. Here is a look at my QB rankings for the SEC heading into spring.

1. Ole Miss: The Rebels led the SEC in total offense, scoring offense and passing offense last season in part because of the play of quarterback Chad Kelly. Kelly finished just behind Brandon Allen of Arkansas in passer rating and his return in 2016 coupled with the addition of newcomer Shea Patterson give Ole Miss a strong nucleus at the quarterback position.

2. Tennessee: Joshua Dobbs will try and improve on a 2015 season that saw him finish fourth in the conference in total offense (2,962 yards) including leading all quarterbacks with 671 yards rushing. He’ll have the luxury of having four returning starters on the offensive line. Depth may have been a concern in the past, but Quinten Dormady saw limited action behind Dobbs and then there is the addition of freshman Jarrett Guarantano, who could be the face of the future at the position.

3. LSU: The Tigers finished with just 13 passing touchdowns last season – its lowest total since 2012 – as the quarterback position seemed to get lost behind Leonard Fournette and the running game. Brandon Harris, who tallied 2,384 total yards of offense last season, will head into spring as the expected starter with Purdue transfer Danny Etling and senior Anthony Jenning battling for the spot as well.

4. Alabama: For the third consecutive season, Alabama will open with a new quarterback behind center. Cooper Bateman saw limited action (57 plays) as the primary backup to Jake Coker last season and he’ll be challenged in spring by sophomores Blake Barnett and David Cornwell as well as early enrollee Jalen Hurts as the Crimson Tide look to defend their national championship.

The University of Arizona is one of a few programs to hit the practice field early this spring with the Wildcats kicking things...

While some parts of the country are just now rearing their heads from the doldrums of winter, the sounds of football practice signify the beginning of spring in Tucson.

The University of Arizona is one of a few programs to hit the practice field early this spring with the Wildcats kicking things...

(Matt Murschel)

5. Georgia: The Bulldogs failed to find any consistency at the quarterback position as three different players saw action at the spot led by Virginia transfer Greyson Lambert. While you would expect Lambert to be the favorite for the job heading into spring, don’t be surprised if early enrollee Jacob Eason – the top quarterback prospect in the country – eventually earns the job by fall.

6. Texas A&M: It’s been a rough offseason for the Aggies who lost both Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray to transfer – both expressing discontent with the program. If there is any good news, it’s that Texas A&M will have the services of graduate transfer Trevor Knight. Knight helped Oklahoma beat Alabama in the 2014 Sugar Bowl and should provide the program with a boost as it looks to recover from the offseason.

7. Arkansas: Few outside of Fayetteville might know that Arkansas finished second in the SEC in total offense and scoring offense last season thanks in part to the strong play of quarterback Brandon Allen. His departure means the Razorbacks will likely lean on another Allen – his younger brother Austin – to lead the offense in 2016. His biggest challenge could come from transfer Ricky Town and a trio of sophomores including Ty Storey and Rafe Peavey.

8. South Carolina: The Gamecocks were forced to play musical chairs at quarterback last season with a trio of players getting starts including Connor Mitch, Perry Orth and Lorenzo Nunez. Will Muschamp’s first order of business this spring as new head coach will be to find a starter. Throw in freshman Brandon McIlwain and sophomore Michael Scarnecchia and the competition should be fierce.

9. Kentucky: The Wildcats finished the season tied for last in the SEC in touchdown passes leading to the dismissal of offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson after just one season. Longtime offensive coordinator Eddie Gran came over from Cincinnati and he’ll be in charge of rebooting the offense. His first challenge is at quarterback. Patrick Towles transferred to Boston College leaving sophomore Drew Barker as the most likely candidate for the starting job in 2016.

10. Florida: The fact the Gators won the SEC East and 10-games in 2015 is nothing short of miraculous especially when you consider the struggles at quarterback. Will Grier led the team to a 6-0 mark before being suspended after failing a drug test for Performance Enhancing Drugs. Treon Harris took over the job but never seemed comfortable in Jim McElwain’s offense as the team lost its final three games. This makes the quarterback battle the biggest story line heading into spring. Grier transferred and Harris is reportedly making a position change to wide receiver. That leaves Purdue transfer Austin Appleby, Luke Del Rio and freshman Felipe Franks to battle out for the job.

11. Mississippi State: Three-year starter Dak Prescott wrapped up his illustrious career with the Bulldogs leaving a huge vacuum for the coaching staff to fill heading into 2016. Damian Williams is the only player on the roster with a career start while Nick Fitzgerald and Elijah Staley saw limited action in the backup role last season making the battle in spring crucial.

12. Auburn: The quarterback position was an unequivocal mess last season for the Tigers. Jeremy Johnson was a preseason second-team all-SEC selection, but failed to live up to the hype. He was benched after throwing six interceptions in his first three games. Freshman Sean White wasn’t much better as both rotated in and out of the lineup. Spring will be huge for Johnson and White who will compete against transfer James Franklin III and highly-touted freshman Woody Barrett for the job.

13. Vanderbilt: The Commodores finished next-to-last in total offense and next-to-last in passing offense after completing just 51 percent of its pass attempts. Johnny McCrary started seven games last season, but has decided to transfer leaving backup Kyle Shurmur as the frontrunner for the job this season. Shurmur started four of the final five games last season and is quite familiar with offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig’s offensive system.

14. Missouri: Missouri finished with the worst offense in the SEC and to make matters worse the Tigers booted troubled starter Maty Mauk from the program in the offseason. Freshman Drew Lock saw the majority of work during Mauk’s absence, but finished with a dismal 90.54 passer rating after completing just 50 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and eight interceptions. New offensive coordinator Josh Heupel will have a lot of work ahead of him with a roster lacking in experience.